payment date, how much will parents receive in 2026?

Lback-to-school allowance (ARS) is aimed at parents of school children aged 6 to 18. This financial assistance aims to offset part of the essential expenses linked to returning to class, such as the purchase of supplies, school bags, clothing or even canteen costs. A welcome boost for many households at the start of the school year. What are the eligibility criteria and scales applied depending on the age of the child?

Date of payment of the back-to-school allowance

In 2026, the government announced that the ARS will be paid on Tuesday August 18 for all departments, with the exception of Réunion and Mayotte which will receive it on August 4.

What amount for the ARS in 2026, depending on the age of the child?

The amount of the back-to-school allowance is calculated based on the age of your children. Here are the amounts for the 2026 school year:

The ceilings not to be exceeded to receive the back-to-school allowance in 2026

The back-to-school allowance is subject to means conditions. To be eligible, families must have income below certain thresholds. For the 2026-2027 school year, it is the income received in 2024 (year N-2) which is taken into account. According to a decree published in the Official Journal on December 22, 2025, the resource ceiling “is set at €22,274 for the period from 1^er January 2026 to December 31, 2026. It is increased, for the same period, by €6,682 per dependent child from the first child.. Here is the resource ceiling not to be exceeded depending on the number of dependent children for this year:

“If your resources slightly exceed these ceilings, a differential allowance calculated according to your income may be paid to you”specifies the public service website.

Who is entitled to the back-to-school allowance?

To touch back-to-school allowanceparents must meet certain conditions:

• Have children in your care, aged between 6 and 18 years oldwho are schooled in a French public or private school, or apprentices or supported in a specialized reception establishment.
• Have income which do not exceed the resource ceilings in force (see table above).
• Complete the general conditions of the CAF or the MSA, depending on the fund you belong to.

Up to what age is the back-to-school allowance paid?

The back-to-school allowance is paid to beneficiary parents until their child turns 18. If the child has not yet turned 18 before September 15 of the year of the start of the school year, the ARS can be paid one last time to the parents who are responsible for the child. Beyond the age of 18, student grants take over to cover tuition fees.

What are the steps to take to benefit from ARS?

Depending on the age of the child, certain steps must be taken to be able to benefit from the ARS. Here are the 3 scenarios:

► If your child enters CP when he or she is not yet 6 years oldsimply send your Caf a schooling certificate. This document must be collected from the school.

► For children aged 6 to 15 (born between 1^er January 2011 and December 31, 2020 inclusive), you do not need to do anything. The back-to-school allowance is paid automatically to families already receiving benefits who meet the conditions.

► For children aged 16 to 18 (born between September 16, 2008 and December 31, 2010 inclusive), you must provide a sworn declaration to the CAF indicating that he is still in school or in apprenticeship. If you are a beneficiary, Caf will contact you in July by email or post to invite you to take the process.

Please note: if the child is an apprentice, their monthly salary (the net amount to be paid on their pay slip) must be equal to or less than 1,144.21 euros.

Who receives the back-to-school allowance in the event of divorce?

When parents separate, and in particular in the event of shared custody, the back-to-school allowance continues to be paid only to one parent. In fact, the amount is not shared between the two parents. It is then the person who requests it first who will receive this financial assistance. This is an exceptional case since other types of family allowances can be shared at the request of the parents. Therefore, the person receiving this aid is expected to take care of the expenses related to the child’s education. It is then up to parents to agree on back-to-school costs.

Please also note that in the event of placement of the child by a child welfare judge, this back-to-school allowance is then blocked in a savings account at the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations. When the child reaches the age of majority, he or she will be able to make a request to recover this amount.